The meeting of the family
by Linneagb
Summary: Sandy comes to meet Kirsten's family for the first time. Rose is okay, Hailey's barely there... Caleb means trouble.


**So. As if the three O. C oneshots I've put up lately and the two I already had ideas for… I listened to the glee cover of Taylor Swift's "Mine" and came up with this. Now let's hope I don't have another idea before I have finished this. I hope you like it.**

 **It's told from Kirsten's POV. Oh, and I have made a polyvore edit with Kirsten and Sandy's outfits. On polyvore I am Linneagbffn. And you'll be able to find it in the collection "Other stories"**

"Come on." On Saturday night in the mid-term fall holidays I stood in the window in my parents' home and watched down the driveway. "Where is he?" In nervousity I was bumping up and down on my toes and would have gone outside and walked down the street to meet him. Only to meet my Sandy as soon as it was possible.

Sandy- my Sandy.

That thought still made me feel all warm and tingly inside. And like whatever would happen tonight, MY Sandy would still be there and make everything that had been broken since before and mum and dad and Jimmy and… everything, just everything- better.

"Honey." My mum came out into the hallway. "Sandy won't be arriving any sooner because you're pacing nervously in the hallway. Just get to doing something and time will go by faster."

"What am I supposed to do then mum? I can't concentrate on anything for more than half a second. Do I look okay?" I looked down on my green round-neck top, cargo green pants and neon green converse with matching laces. "Or maybe I shouldn't… maybe I should have gone for like a white shirt and jeans or… should I wear jewelry or… I don't know."

"Honey. You look beautiful. You have met Sandy loads of times before you know. At school."

"Yes. I have… But I wasn't half this nervous when I'd meet him for the first… well, second time. And you haven't. And when dad comes in and ruins everything else I want to at least look nice."

"You do look nice." Mum told me and grabbed me by the hands before I'd paced back and forth for the millionth time. "You do look more than nice. You look beautiful."

The way mum smiled at me just always seemed to calm me down. It had ever since I could remember no matter what was going on. But right now, with the sound of my heart pounding in my ears and some kind of nervous hyperactivity in my whole body it just wouldn't.

Then I heard a car pull up in our driveway and knew exactly who it was. And I froze right where I stood.

"Kirsten… I think he's here."

I didn't give mum time to get to see him. I was out the door in about half a second and down the driveway before Sandy was out of his car.

"Hey. These are…"

Sandy held up a bunch of roses. But I didn't even look at them before I kissed him, hard- and long. And while I lifted my hand and laid it towards his cheek without letting go of my lips towards his it was as everything else in the whole wide world had disappeared around us.

"Whoa." Sandy's chin dropped and his eyes grew wide while I stepped away. "I should come and meet your parents for the first time a bit more often if that's how you're going to greet me. I…" He held up the bunch of red roses that had gotten a bit crushed in between us. "I brought you these. I hope you like them."

"Oh honey." I took them from his hand and smelled them. "They're beautiful. Now let me look at you." I eyed Sandy up and down. "What did you do to your hair?"

Sandy's hair who usually was standing in each and every direction all over his head was pulled back with God knows how much hair gel in a back slick kind of hairstyle.

"What?" Sandy looked confused. "I was trying to make a good impression for your parents and my hair was all over the place. You don't like it?"

I didn't answer verbally. Instead I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him with me into the house. Where I left the roses on the hallway counter and then pulled him with me into the bathroom to wash out all of that hair gel.

"I'll take that as a no then." Sandy said while I forced him to lean down so he had his head over the bathtub. "I only figured that I might make a better first impression if my hair wasn't all over the place like it usually is." When Sandy tried to move I pushed him down and held him still by the neck. "You know. My hair is going to look wild and crazy after all of this. I'll look like I haven't as much as seen a comb in my whole life."

"Well." I ran my hand through the dark tresses and then had to wash a handful of hair gel off my hand. "My God. Did you use the whole bottle?" To that Sandy didn't answer. "One whole bottle of hair gel? Are you mad?"

"I am not but my hair is. And I'm going to look like a scarecrow."

"Well then you're going to look like a very handsome scarecrow. Keep your head down or I'll get all your clothes wet too."

Sandy sighed, but did as he was told. And I had to run my hand through his hair both one and fifteen and maybe a hundred times before all the hair gel was out of it and Sandy looked like himself again so he could stand up and I handed him a towel.

"Now." I looked him up and down, stripy polo shirt, white jeans and neon blue Converse. "Pull your shirt up off your pants." Sandy grimaced, but did as he was told. "Now you're looking right." Sandy held out his hand and raised an eyebrow at me. "Looking very handsome." I leaned forward and kissed him. "I'm sorry for this."

"Aw honey." Sandy came over and wrapped his arms around me. "Don't say you're sorry. If I am nervous about this I can only imagine what it's like for you. Now. You're the one who wanted to wash my hair so now you'll have to wait for me to get it dry." He lifted the towel from his shoulders and started rubbing his hair with it to dry it off.

Once he had finished and gotten somewhat dry. And then just stood there, looking abnormally much like some kind of terrier puppy with his dark hair all messy and those blue eyes looking so pleading at me.

"Maybe you shouldn't have done that." Sandy pouted jokingly. "I really do look like a scarecrow now."

"Well." I reached up and kissed him. "Like I said. The world's most handso… Not sure if that's the right word right now. But at least the world's cutest scarecrow." Sandy bit his lip not to start laughing.. "Oh come on. You are so cute and you know you are."

"I know I am." Sandy chuckled. "Now come on. If there's nothing else I need to fix should we go and meet your parents?" He looked in the mirror and pulled and ruffled his hair in every spot he could see (didn't help much. Still a scarecrow)

I hung the towel on the hanger on the wall, grabbed Sandy by the hand so he couldn't try to fix his hair anymore and pulled him with me into the hallway. Where my sister was standing pulling her jacket on to go out.

"Oh, hey. Sandy, this is my sister." Hailey looked from one to the other while chewing on her gum and looked him up and down as if to check if he was good enough for me. "Hailey, this is my boyfriend Sandy."

"Hey Kiki's boyfriend Sandy." Hailey said at last. "I'm Hailey. I'm Kiki's sister. You're Sandy. I'm going out. Good luck with our dad. Bye."

I already knew that that was the way Hailey had planned to do that like this. It was only so long I could hold her home when she was going to a party with her friends. But still, while the door closed behind my little sister I could have hated her for leaving me alone in all of this.

"Hello."

Oh well. After all. Thank God it was mum Sandy was meeting first.

"You must be Sandy." Mum walked over to my boyfriend and shook his hand. "I'm Rose Nichol. Kirsten's mother."

"Oh… Okay…" Sandy stuttered nervously. "I… ehrm… yeah. I'm… ehrm… Sandy… Sanford actually but only mum calls me that so you just go with Sandy… Mrs. Nichol."

"Oh, you just call me Rose honey." Mum smiled and rubbed Sandy's hand with her thumb. "You don't have to be afraid. It's my husband you'll have to worry about. But we are both here to help you with him. Now, from one thing to the other. You've driven a long way today right?"

"Ehrm… Yes." Sandy answered, and I knew perfectly well mum already knew exactly how long the distance between Berkeley and Orange County was. "Almost eight hours but hey… I don't mind driving so…. Ehrm… I…" My dad just came into the hallway too and after all warnings he had gotten Sandy flinched and lost all of his words.

"Don't let me interrupt." Dad said, polite. But I knew that tone in his voice. "We've got dinner finished."

"I hope you like meatloaf with mashed potatoes." Mum took over from dad, which was good. Because now already Sandy seemed about a million times more tense whenever dad said a single sound.

"Oh yeah. My favorite."

"Aw honey. You don't have to say that only to seem nice and make me happy."

"I wasn't. It is my favorite. Honest."

Mum had turned away to put up food on everybody's plates. But I did know she loved those simple things such as when people appreciated something food she had made. And I did know her smile was reaching from ear to ear.

"There." Mum didn't say anything more before she finished. "Everybody has got food on their plates. There's water… I think we'll do best without the wine right now. Or what do you say Sandy?"

"Well. I'm driving later so water is fine with me."

"Well. Let's eat then and Cal… Please, just take it easy."

As if dad had ever listened to anybody else then himself.

"So… Sanford." Dad grabbed his knife and fork but I could see he was concentrating on Sandy and not the food. "Tell us a bit about yourself?"

This actually wouldn't have been too weird. Only if it wasn't for the demanding tone in dad's voice. And that other tone that just told me how he was going to do anything to make a fool out of my boyfriend and pressure him.

"Oh… Well I can do that. My name is Sanford Cohen but people call me Sandy. I'm studying law in Berkeley. Which has been my dream ever since I can remember. And ehrm…"

Sandy didn't get to decide more what he wanted to say. Dad took over and started asking him. And now we were here.

"I heard from Kiki that you two met when you campaigned for Walter Mondale for the election. So how come you wanted that and how did it feel when he lost?"

Politics… of course.

And dad continued.

Hobbies, places in the world he had travelled or where he'd want to go. Why he had wanted to study law? If he wanted to have children in the future, religion, did he celebrate holidays? How were his grades in school? What could he do good or bad? What kind of car did he have? Did he have a lot of money?

Why?

Why not?

Dad's questions to Sandy only went on and on and on. And as soon as Sandy tried to get to know something about us dad interrupted with yet another question. I could hardly eat and the bites only grew in my mouth while I saw how tense Sandy sat but could only let dad go on and on and on.

Until…

"Huh. I almost forgot one of the most important pieces. Now, can you tell me about your family? Are you an only child? Your parents?"

"No…" Sandy finally put his knife and fork down and I could see him nervously rubbing the sweat in his hands off towards his jeans. "I have two siblings. One sister and one brother. Lucien is two years younger than me and Dora… Dorothy is four years younger than me. My mum's name is Sophie. She is a social worker and…" Sandy cleared his throat nervously and stopped in the middle of a sentence.

"And your father?"

"Ehrm… My dad's name is Frederick. And…. Ehrm… he left when I was five." I could see my mum stopping in her moves, putting her knife and fork down and glaring at dad while she reached over the corner of the table and rubbed Sandy's arm. "It's fine… It's fine. It was… A long time ago."

I could tell Sandy was trying to act cool and like it actually didn't matter with dad acting like this and asking yet one question yet the others.

"Maybe you should leave…" I hated to have to say this. But it was everything I could do. Or dad would just continue and ask God knows what kind of questions. "I'm sorry Sandy. This just won't work… He'll just continue and…"

"Don't worry Kiki." Dad interrupted what I was saying. "I'm almost finished. I just want to make sure this guy is good for you." I suppressed a sigh and dad turned back to Sandy. "So why did he leave?"

"DAD."

"Cal."

Hopefully dad would admit he had done something wrong when I and mum scolded him at the same time. (Well, who was I trying to fool) But he just raised an eyebrow at us and then turned back to Sandy.

"Don't worry Kiki. I'm only making sure this one won't do anything like that. I just don't want you hurt."

"Of course." Sandy seemed more and more nervous by the second. "I'd never do something like that. And I… about why I…"

"Don't answer that Sandy." I interrupted and stood up. "Don't… God. Why would you…" I turned away from dad and to Sandy. "Maybe you should just leave." I didn't wait for him to answer or for anybody else to say anything before I left the table and headed out the back door with one last desperate shout. "JUST LEAVE."

I walked down to our swimming pool and sat down on the tile by it Indian style. Playing with my fingers in the clear water. This was just something I had done since I was little. Even though I was since years back old enough to go down to the beach on my own I had just never lost my habit of going into the garden and the pool.

I put my chin heavily in my hand and my elbow towards my knee while I continued playing in the water with my other hand.

Oh Lord. Now how was I going to continue after this?

Well, when I heard a door open and close and then footsteps of one pair of feet coming closer I had to realize I would have to know. And I would have to know soon.

"Go away mum." Only at this moment I could hear the tears in my voice and realized I was crying. "Why does dad always do this? Whenever there is someone that doesn't agree with him on every single spot he just chases them away. And then it doesn't matter how much I like them. He just makes up his mind to chase them away and then… he does…" I paused for a bit. "And I really like Sandy but dad…"

I couldn't continue, the lump in my throat grew too big and tears started rolling out of my eyes and down my cheeks.

"It's me." I flinched when it was Sandy's voice I heard behind me. Not mum's like I had thought. "Hey…" Sandy came and sat down next to me. And when he didn't say anything I was a hundred percent sure he wanted to choose his words well for breaking up with me. "It's you I want to be together with. Not your dad. I get it if you'd rather want to be with a guy that your dad approves…"

"No…" I shook my head and more tears rolled down my cheeks. "Dad doesn't like anyone. And I want to be with you… only you."

"Well then…" Sandy lifted his hand and tenderly wiped away a tear from my cheek. "…That's what matters."

I wasn't so sure if I could trust what he said. My dad was… like he was and I was desperately fearing losing Sandy after everything that had happened.

Thoughts were spinning in my head. Sandy, dad, Hailey, mum. How was this going to turn out? And far into my own thoughts I didn't even realize I was cold before I automatically pulled my shoulders up and shivered.

"Oh ehrm…- okay… ehrm… You're cold." Sandy stated the obvious after several minutes in silence. "But I think your parents are watching us from the window and I don't think they'd appreciate if I sat here topless next to you. But I can do this…" He laid his arms around my shoulders. "…and this…" He pulled me closer, so close I could lay my head against his chest and listen to his heartbeat. And while I felt and heard and all I closed my eyes not to ruin anything with the tile I could feel beneath me and see all around. "… and this." He wrapped his arms tighter around me. "And then my body heat and warm sweater will warm you too… Is that better?"

I didn't say anything to answer, words would have just ruined the moment. Instead I drew a deep sigh in well-being and snuggled closer into Sandy's shirt, lying me ear as close as possible to where I could hear his heart beating.

"Can you hear it beating?" Sandy asked as if he could hear my thoughts.

"Yes." I replied. "But don't talk. You're ruining the moment."

I could almost hear the way Sandy was smiling as he wrapped his arms tighter around me and placed a soft kiss on top of my hair.

While we sat like that, I snuggled into Sandy's shirt and Sandy's arms wrapped around me. Suddenly he started humming on a song that I soon recognized.

"Aw. This song is so old but it's one of my favorites."

Sandy didn't answer me. He just started singing louder as he continued singing through the song and I couldn't help but smile while I sat up. This wasn't too bad. The clear night air easy to breathe, knowing Sandy (at least so far) didn't care what my dad thought to be together with me… And to that, now his singing of one of my favorite songs.

"You're a really good singer you know." I told Sandy just as he finished the first verse. "Really."

Sandy smiled and continued towards the second verse singing even louder. With a big smile on his face, looking to him I could see in his blue eyes he was meaning every word he sang to me. And like that he continued through the whole song. As if he knew that I would have wanted it to last forever, he didn't make any intention he would have liked to end it in the middle off the song and gone on with our lives.

And then, while I leaned back against his shoulder and only listened to his voice sounding through the night I remembered something, If only this could work the way I would want it to.

"So. Where were you going to go tonight?" I sat up. "Stay in your car or what? Because you can't drive the whole way back to Berkeley or you're going to fall asleep behind the wheel I bet."

"No. I'm not going back to Berkeley tonight. I was thinking about staying here for a day or two. Check out Orange County a bit. So now we've got the part with meeting your dad over and done maybe you could help me with it and show me around town a bit."

"Sure. I can do that. But where are you going to sleep?"

"I guess I'll find some cheap motel or something. You know, those actually can be quite comfy sometimes."

"Nope." I stood up. "Follow me." I stomped right back to the house and into the kitchen. Where mum was sitting by the now clean table with a glass of wine and dad stood by the kitchen counter with a grumpy look on his face.

"Okay here's the deal…" I stared from mum, to dad, back to mum and then back to dad. "…Sandy's staying here tonight. And as long as he's staying here in Orange County, every night. In my room." In the corner of my eye I could see Sandy raising an eyebrow. "Shut up Sandy. He's staying. And you're not keeping an eye on us. But you're leaving us alone. And we're going to be together, and stay together, and there is nothing you can do about it. And there is nothing I'd want you to be doing about it because…" I grabbed Sandy by the hand and wrapped my fingers along his. "…Because HE is here and HE is here to stay."

It was just as mum and dad had frozen where they stood. Because they hadn't as much as flinched while I just barged in and told him the way it was going to be. And while the seconds just ticked by the clock was the only thing heard for what felt like a million years, yet somehow like a piece of a second because I was pretty sure that whatever dad would say it wouldn't be good for me.

"What did you say to make her do this?"

"DAD."

"Cal. Will you just calm down?"

Well at least mum was on my side in this. Well, she mostly was anyway. But sometimes was just too afraid of getting a big discussion to say anything at all.

"He hasn't said anything." I protested. "I want him here. And it was my idea. And if you can't live with it then we'll just go outside and live in the mail truck."

Dad looked around with a grumpy look on his face. I feared whatever he was going to say next. But before he had the time to say anything at all mum interrupted.

"Sandy, honey." Mum stepped over to me and Sandy. "I am so sorry for Cal's behavior tonight. I'm going to make sure he and I both will leave you alone. And of course you can stay. If it's what you both want then you can stay here for as long as you want."

"I was only thinking for a day or two. And maybe Kirsten could show me around a bit And… I'll just go get my things from the car. Thank you so much Mrs. Nichol…. Mr. Nichol."

"Rose honey." Mum said after him. "Just call me Rose. That Mrs. Makes me feel older than my own grandma."

"Rose."

Sandy turned from me and when he was on his way out the door and I was about to turn after him I and mum sent dad each death glare. Now Sandy was staying the night there was no way I was going to let dad ruin my time with him.

"Here…" Once by the car Sandy handed me his shoulder bag and took the trunk he had himself. "I… It's fine this with your dad by the way. I do get it."

"Isn't this a bit much packing for only a day or two?" I changed the subject and held the door open for him. "This is really heavy and now your trunk is huge."

"Here. I can take that too." Sandy took the shoulder bag too from me and then I felt bad for saying something. "Well… I'll admit I brought all of my clothes so I could stop and change five times on the way to make sure I was dressed in what would make the best first impression. Or maybe six times… or seven." Sandy gave me a meaning glance while we made our way up the stairs and to my room.

"Here it is." I walked before him into the right room. "You can drop the bags wherever you want. Mum and dad aren't going to come in and I don't care if you don't."

"Nope. Not as long as you don't. I've got better things to do than unpack right now. First I need to check… Is this comfy?" Sandy dropped his bags on the floor, pulled his shoes off and then crawled over to sit on the bed. "Is it comfy?" He bumped a bit up and down and leaned his back against the headboard It is comfy. Sure thing Kiki."

"You can't call me that." I protested, pouted and stomped my foot jokingly. "Only dad and Hailey can call me that. And I still hate them doing that."

"Aw. Just come here. Your mum said she'd make sure she and your dad left us alone tonight." I couldn't help but laugh, then crawled over the bed, sat down by him and leaned back against his shoulder. "I have to say I'm quite impressed…" Sandy started playing with my hair and twisted one tress around his finger. It did seem like he was a bit hyperactive and couldn't keep still after everything. "I would never have dared to stand up to your parents like you just did… And especially not after making such a terrible first impression."

"Well. Sometimes one's just got to show them who's the boss. And you did not make a terrible first impression." I couldn't help but smile, while I moved and laid my head against his chest so I could hear his heart beating again. No sound ever than MY Sandy's voice and heartbeat had ever made me feel this safe. "My mum already loves you. And like I've already said- dad doesn't like anyone. He usually doesn't like me neither."

"Aw. Don't say that. He loves you, that's why he asks all of those questions. He can only stand the best for his little girl."

"Believe me. That's not it. I know exactly what he's like."

Sandy didn't answer. Only rubbed my shoulders and blew in my hair as if he could feel the way it just hurt sometimes to know how dad cared for his job and money and everything. And more about no rumors spreading if Sandy was here than if Sandy was one that treated me right.

"Oh." I moaned at last to say anything at all. "What a fiasco. Well at least this part is done. Three of six family members are met and it worked out somehow. Only your three left to meet for me and there is no way your family is as bad as mine?!" Sandy didn't answer. "What?"

"I'm not meaning to scare you or anything honey. But let's wait with saying anything until you've actually met them."

I lifted my head and glared up on Sandy who only smirked. Then laid my head back towards his chest and snuggled into his shirt.

"Ugh. I don't have the energy left to worry about that right now or before we get there. But if it takes another fiasco to get us into a moment like this. Then I don't think I'd mind it."

 **Random fact**

The song Sandy is singing to Kirsten when they're outside is "Can't help falling in love" by Elvis Presley.


End file.
